Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, the prequel series to the Mortal Instruments series. It picked up right at the end of Clockwork Prince. It was a beautiful end to a great series, with happy moments as well as sad.

The action was just as fierce in this book with some truly epic battle scenes. Throughout this series, I found Mortmain's creatures horrifying and they were even more so in this book. The combination of steampunk elements and magic was fantastic, totally embodied in these creations.

The romance in this installment was at times beautiful and at other times heart wrenching. The love between Jem and Tessa is beautiful, while Will's heart is being broken. But that love is not the only love in this book, either. We see it growing between some of the other couples in ways that are just heart warming.

The characters are what make this series so wonderful for me, both the good guys and the bad. Even those that we are supposed to hate were often surprising, showing just enough humanity to make the reader empathize with them. It may not excuse their behavior, but it gave a whole other level to their characters. The supporting characters are not just background props to the protagonists, but characters with their own stories to tell. I love how their stories, while not always in the forefront, were woven into the whole. Magnus remains one of my favorites in the series, as he was in the Mortal Instruments. He's so different as a person in this series, but in many ways, you can see the person he will become. Jem, Tess, and Will... three distinct characters who in many ways are one. In very real ways, they are who they are because of one another. It's a love triangle like none other, with no true jealously or hate. Just love and loyalty and a deep selfless desire to see the others happy, even at the cost of their own.

One of the things I love most about these books is that we don't always get what we want with the characters. It isn't all perfectly wrapped up HEAs, but instead reflect real life in that sometimes life just doesn't work out as planned and that there are obstacles in life. It is tragic and heart breaking, yes, but I like that the author doesn't shy away from that.

My Recommendation

Fantastic series that adds so much to the story told in the Mortal Instruments! I gave it 4.5 mugs!